1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicular steering dampers and related hardware. More particularly, the present invention relates to steering dampers and related attaching structure for a motorcycle, and to a motorcycle incorporating the novel steering damper.
2. Description of the Background Art
As a conventional attaching structure for a steering damper in a motorcycle, a steering damper attaching structure is known which includes a rotary-type steering damper wherein, upon rocking motion of a vane which partitions an oil chamber in a housing into two oil chambers, working fluid flows between the two oil chambers to generate attenuating force. (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-302085 (left column of page 3, FIGS. 2 and 3)). In this known structure, the steering damper includes a shaft having a base portion of the vane connected thereto in a fixed state, and supporting the vane for rocking motion with respect to the housing. The known steering damper described in the reference further includes a hydraulic pressure control valve, for varying the attenuating force of the steering damper. In this known attaching structure for a steering damper in a motorcycle, the housing is attached to a steering system side while the shaft is attached to a vehicle body frame side.
The conventional attaching structure for a steering damper in a motorcycle described above has the following characteristics.
In particular, the steering damper of the known rotary type is attached above a top bridge of the motorcycle. However, it is necessary to provide an actuator or driving means, such as a solenoid, in order to drive and control the hydraulic pressure control valve provided in the connecting path between the two oil chambers in the damper housing, as a hydraulic pressure control valve for adjusting the attenuating force.
The actuator requires a comparatively large mounting space, however, the position above the top bridge, where the steering damper of the rotary type described above is disposed, only has a very small space available, in which a fuel tank is disposed rearwardly in a crowded relationship and an ignition switch is disposed forwardly. Besides, the position above the top bridge is a place where various components of the steering system are disposed, such as the top bridge, front fork and so forth. Thus, it is difficult to find space for the actuator, which generally takes up a large mounting space, in such a place which is narrow and small and in which various movable parts are disposed.
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances as described above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an attaching structure for a steering damper in a motorcycle wherein actuator can be beneficially situated, even where the actuator requires a comparatively large arrangement space for driving and controlling a hydraulic pressure control valve for adjusting attenuating force.
Although the known devices have some utility for their intended purposes, there is still a need to provide improved attaching structure for a steering damper in a motorcycle. More particularly, there is a need for an improved steering damper and related attaching structure for a motorcycle, including components designed to solve the above-mentioned problems.